Associations between older African academics' physical activity, walkability and mental health: a social distancing perspective.

Journal: Health promotion international

Volume: 37

Issue: 2

Year of Publication: 2022

Affiliated Institutions:  School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Winston Churchill Ave, Portsmouth PO UP, UK. Department of Physical Therapy, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, USA. Department of Health Management, Berlin School of Business and Innovation, Berlin, Germany. Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Kuwait University, Kuwait. Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre for Generational Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, Australia. Africa Centre for Epidemiology, Gerontology and Geriatric Care, Accra North, Ghana.

Abstract summary 

This study aimed to assess the moderating influence of neighborhood walkability on the association between physical activity (PA) and mental health among older African academics aged 50 years or more in cities with social distancing protocols in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 905 volunteer academics participated in the study. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed to conduct sensitivity analyses and test the study hypotheses. After controlling for sex, education and age, there was a positive association between PA and mental health. Neighborhood walkability moderated the relationship between PA and mental health, which suggests that during the pandemic PA was associated with higher mental health scores in more walkable neighborhoods. The study concludes that PA was beneficial to mental health in the social distancing context and was associated with higher mental health in more walkable neighborhoods, particularly in a social distancing context.

Authors & Co-authors:  Asiamah Nestor N Vieira Edgar Ramos ER Kouveliotis Kyriakos K Gasana Janvier J Awuviry-Newton Kofi K Eduafo Richard R

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Antonovsky A. (1979) Health, Stress and Coping. Jossey-Bass, London.
Authors :  6
Identifiers
Doi : daab093
SSN : 1460-2245
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
COVID-19
Other Terms
Africa;academics;mental health;neighborhood walkability;physical activity;social distancing
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
England